Foot on the gas, on the brake, slogged through north Orange County at a snail's pace. Finally seeing the sets rolling across the lineup from Basilone was like a revelation. Threw on the trunks and a very liberal application of SPF 30 and raced down the path. By the time I reached the water's edge I was greasy and sweating, but a local gal was kind enough to loan me some more sunscreen for my face which I'd forgotten in my haste.

Took until the second session for me to really get the place wired, with waves showing wide to the right on the outside then veering across the shoal so that paddling left and then backdooring the peak to go right was de riguer if catching waves was the goal. Mostly slip-'n'-slid on my cool water wax and enjoyed hitting the well-shaped lips at speed. Second go-out went better with the lineup wired like I said and a fresh coat of warm water wax under my feet. This time around got plenty of the overhead sets and rode every one of them all the way in to shore. All of them maintained great shape even at knee high, fun floaters and whacks and even threw in a cheater 5 or two. It's easy to see why the performance level here stays so high, with such a good wave face to work on.

Of course it didn't go without the occasional hassle; nothing really intentional, especially with what struck me as a light crowd of around 20 and never more than 30 people. "Frosty," a genial guy on a big board caught all the rights he wanted, in one instance I was to his left, saw him go right and was about to pop up and take the left when someone to his right decided to go left. Bailed out before dropping in but got hung in the lip and down I went. Later on got shoved while paddling for a left by someone trying for the right from the outside; I presumed he figured I was trying to snake his right.

All this right-left-right talk just emphasizes how the perfect A-frames here coupled with a concentrated lineup of competent surfers create some interesting situations. Fortunately we were all stoked.

Crowd factors aside, this wave and the scene around it is a real treasure, with the wetland and coastal bluffs making a beautiful backdrop to a classic California wave. It's also under heavy threat from Marine Corps development, a lousy toll road plan, and the ever-present railroad. Only a few misteps stand between Trestles as it stands and an industrialized wasteland of a wave zone like Oil Piers. Here's hoping we can stop it from happening.

Foot back on the gas, feeling like part of the problem as I pick up my petrochemical wetsuit -- a first class repair job for free, with not only the warranteed seams fixed but fresh neoprene on the sleeves, now have half a new wetsuit -- and burn dead dinos on the drive home, a quick stop through Pedro's Tacos in San Clemente for some carbos and back home.